Yale University senior Zachary M. Young has been awarded the 2017 Michel David-Weill Scholarship to pursue a two-year Master’s in Public Policy degree at the Sciences Po School of Public Affairs in Paris.

The Michel David-Weill Scholarship selects one American student each year from applicants at 30 top U.S. universities. Its criteria include: literary and scholastic achievements, capacity for critical analysis, demonstrated history of leadership, and proven commitment to the community.

Young is an Ethics, Politics and Economics major from Cincinnati, Ohio. During his time at Yale, he has been a forceful advocate for free speech and cross-party dialogue. He has been president of the William F. Buckley, Jr. Program, a team-member of the Yale Debate Association, and the founder of multiple campus discourse groups.

Through his studies at Sciences Po, Young is eager to examine the policy implications of new communications technologies. “I want to assess how the rise of social media companies has altered traditional models of free speech,” Young said.

He added that Sciences Po’s multidisciplinary, hands-on curriculum would allow him to build upon his undergraduate coursework. “I hope to apply my knowledge of free speech to critical areas of public policy, from campaign finance reform to terrorist surveillance rules,” Young said.

Young is especially enthusiastic to be studying in France. “I have always dreamed of spending time there,” he said, “and France’s free speech tradition represents a fascinating counterweight and complement to our American model.” He will be contributing to a student body whose members represent 150 nationalities.

Young has interned at the Wall Street Journal as a Bartley Fellow and at the U.S Senate Finance Committee. He has also worked at New Haven City Hall and in the office of Senator Rob Portman (R-OH). Before coming to Yale, Young spent a summer in Israel as a Bronfman Youth Fellow. He has been published in the Wall Street Journal and made several appearances on television and radio.

Upon hearing that he had been awarded the scholarship, Young said: “It’s an incredible honor, and I am fortunate to have received it. Now is a momentous time to be studying free speech, in Paris no less, and I am immensely thankful to the David-Weill Foundation for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”